The house is divided into the upper floor and the ground floor. There is no wall downstairs, where cattle, fowls and work tools are kept. People live upstairs, which is the center of a bamboo house. The upper floor's layout, divided into a hall and a bedroom by a bamboo fence, is also very simple. There are gaps in the bamboo walls wide enough to let in light and air, so usually no window is needed, although as was mentioned earlier, many such houses nowadays has windows.

At one end of the house is the stairs, leading straight to the hall. A bamboo mat is usually laid in the middle of hall, where guests are entertained and matters of significance are discussed. In most cases, a fire pit is set inside the hall, with a tripod placed above so pans, kettles and other cooking utensils can be put on it. The bedroom, a place for the whole family to rest, is much smaller than the hall, and also has a bamboo mat placed on the floor.

In front of the hall are the corridor and the balcony, where there is a water urn. The Dai People do washing and needlework, dry clothes and enjoy the coolness of the night on the balcony. The roof is like an "A," covered with caopai, which is woven with couch grass.

Every part of the bamboo house has its particular meaning. The backbone pillar, also called "falling pillar," is the most sacred one, which cannot be leaned on and where nothing can be placed. The pillar is also believed to be capable of protecting the family from calamity and ill fortune. As a common practice, people will put some tree leaves under the pillar when building a new bamboo house, which is believed to be able to strengthen the whole house. Besides, the bulky pillar in the house's middle represents men, while the short ones on the four sides symbolize women. The ridge of the roof refers to the tail of a phoenix, and the corners stand for the bittern's (kind of wading bird) wings.

With the development of tourism, the beautiful bamboo houses can be found in many tourist attractions apart from in Yunnan Province. No matter where and when they are found, they will give you pleasant and fresh surprises.

Author: Jessie

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.